Shower-bath construction



April 1931- G. A. NILSON SHOWER BATH CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 15, 1930ZSheets-Sheet 1 [HZ/671827 Qwfg 1415272 #23022 April 14, 1931. G. A.NILSON 1,800,562

SHOWER BATH CONSTRUCTION VFiled Jan. 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedApr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES GUSTAI' ALBIN NILSOPN OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISSHOWER-BATH CONSTRUCTION Application filed January 15, 1930. Serial No.420,952.

taining a water-tight joint between the walls of the compartments.

In devices of this character, the walls are preferably made of sheetmetal and for the sake of economy and transportation and handling theymust usually be assembled on.

the job so that it is necessary that the parts be so constructed as topermit application of the finishing coating particularly where it is avitreous enamel coating prior to the assembly. It must also be possiblethen to assemble the walls into a completed compartment without injuringthis coating or exposing the bare metal which would cause seriousdeterioration due to corrosion. Considerable difliculty has beenencountered in obtaining a construction that would permit of assemblingthe completely coated shower bath compartments so as to obtain asubstantially watertight joint and still maintain the exposed interiorsurfaces of the compartments in smooth undamaged condition.

The present type of construction as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings has been found to be particularly applicable to obtaining theresults desired.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through ashower stall embodying my invention' Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspectivebroken away to illustrate more clearly the construction;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the corners with parts thereof insection showing the manner of securing certain elements to-.

gether;

Fig.4 is a horizontal sectional view showing the application of myinvention to a battery of shower stalls installed side by side; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the joints in Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the shower .stall is in generalmade up of the base or receptor 6-which I construct with an upstandingrim 7 having embedded therein the flange member 8 within which thevertical compartment walls such as 9 and 10 are adapted to fit. The wallelements 9 and 10 are of sheet metal and preferably coated with somecoating capable of resisting the tendency to corrode under the influenceof the water used in the compartment. The best coating for this purposein the present use is a vitreous enamel coatingyvhich must be applied ata high heat and which when cooled is comparatively brittle and easy tochip if subjected to sudden blows or stresses.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, I will describe specifically theconstruction of the joint between the side and back walls that I havefound to be particularly efiicient in preported to the installationlocation. The back wall 9 is as shown bent forwardly adjacent itsvertical edge at 11 at an angle of about 45 degrees to the plane of theback Wall and ex tended over in this direction for an inch or tWo whenit is again bent as at 12 to extend substantially parallel to the mainbody portion 9. The free edge 13 is then bent back to extend at rightangles to the main portion 9 to a point substantially aligning with thefront surface of the back wall. It will be noted that this formation ofthe back Wall gives a smooth exposed surface to the interior of thecompartment and at the same time provides at 14 a relatively wide fiatsurface upon which pressure may be applied to force the back wall intoassembly with the side wall 10 as will now be described.

The side wall 10 is bent at 15 so asto extend the portion 16 in theplane of the ultimate position of the back wall 9, and the width of theportion 16 is preferably such as to substantially overlap the spacebetween the portions 11 and 13 of the wall 9 although, of course, 16 maybe narrowed without deterioration from the advantages of the structure.The portion 16 has secured thereto a long strip 17 which may be securedby any suitable means such as by spot welding or by means of a screw 18.In case the material is vitreous enamel, I prefer to use the methodshown in Fig. 3 for securing the member 17 to the portion 16. Thismember 17 has a bend at 19 to extend the portion 20 out substantiallyparallel to the wall 10, but spaced therefrom an extent somewhat morethan twice the thickness of the wall metal The portion 20 is then bentas illustrated 1n Fig.

'3 toward the wall so as to form a narrow neck at 21 which is of justsuch thickness as to make a wedging fit of the portion 13 with v thewall 9, that 1s to say, slightly less the Thus in assembling the twowall sections 9 and 10, section 10 may be set up in place together withthe corresponding opposite. section, and then the back wall 9 maybeshoved into position by means of relatively soft faced hammers such aswooden structures exerting the necessary amount of force against theface 14. Before doing this, however, the sp'ace between the portion 20and the wall 10 is filled with a suitable water proof cement or putty sothat, in-dragging in the portion 13, this putty will be forced into allof the apertures through 'which leakage might occur at the joint andthis provides a very efficient watertight joint.

The cement 23 may be of any suitable plastic water proofing materialsuch for example as a waterproof cement. When the structure is completedin this fashion, it will be clear from an inspection of Fig. 2 forinstance thatthe entire interior exposed surfaces of the. side and backwalls need .not be subjected to any treatment that would mar them in anyway during the as-' sembly, .and the water proofing material, namely thetightjoint between the member 20 and the flange 13, together with theputty at 23 are completely hidden from view making a neat and lastinginterior finish. Y

In Figs. 4 and 5 I. have illustrated the application of this structureto a multiple compartment installation where the ,side walls such as 10'serve each as a side wall for two compartments. In this case the sidewalls 10.- are provided at their back ends with the sheet metal members24 and 25 secured on o posite sides thereof for example by spot we dingand these members 24 and 25 extend forwardly and are bowed outwardly'as'indicated at 26 and 27 then inwardly at 28 and 29 to form the narrownecks at 30 and 31 with the free ends 32 and '33 turned outwardly tofacilitate the entry efiicient means whereby the side walls of theshower compartment may be joined without exposing any unsightly sharpedges to the interior of the compartment and with the advantage of anabsolute watertight joint for the purpose of the compartment is obtained. Also the joint is such that it permits shipping of the wallstructure in knocked downgpositio n and ready assembly thereof where itis' installed without serious danger of damage to the fine finishapplied thereto. It is obvious, of course, that various minormodifications may be made from the exact structure shown and describedwithout departing from the scope ofthe invention.

1 Having thus described-my invention, what I claim as new and desire'tosecure by Letters Patent is:

- 1. A compartment structure for shower baths and the like having twowall portions meeting at an angle, said wall portions consisting ofmetal plates, and means for forming a watertight joint between saidplates consisting of a metallic strip secured at the edge of one of saidplates and extending inwardly'toward the interior of said compartmentand forming with its supporting plate a pocket havin a reduced-entranceneck and a flange formed on the other plate extending away from theinterior of the compartment and extending into said pocket through saidneck, said flange being yieldingly gripped by said strip at said neck,and

a waterproof cement filling for said pocket.

2. A compartment structure for shower baths and the like having two wallportions meeting at an angle, said wall portions consisting of metalplates, and means for forming a watertight joint between said platesconsisting of a metallic strip secured at the edge of one of said platesand extending inwardly toward the interior of said compartment andforming with its supporting plate a pocket having a reduced entranceneck and a flange formed on the other plate extending away from theinterior of the compartment and extending into said pocket through saidneck, said flange being yieldingly gripped by said strip at said neck,and a waterproof c'ement filling for said pocketysaidstrip having itsfree edge flared awayfmmdts supporting plate to flange. v

3. A compartment structure for shower baths and the like having two wallportions meeting at an angle, said wall portions consisting of metalplates, and means for forming a watertight jointbetween said plates,said joint consisting of a pocket formed on one of the plates having anarrow entrance neck, and an enlarged main pocket having a filling ofwaterproof cement, and a flange on the other plate extended through saidneck and embedded in said cement.

4:. A compartment structure for shower baths and the like having twowall portions meeting at an angle, said wall portions consisting ofmetal plates, and means for forming a watertight joint between saidplates, said joint consisting of a pocket formed on one of the plateshaving a narrow entrance neck and an enlarged main pocket having afilling of waterproof cement and a flange on the other plate extendedthrough said neck and embedded in said cement, said other plate beingoffset inwardly adjacent said facilitate entry of said flange a distancegreater than the width of said flange.

5. A compartment structure for shower baths and the like having two wallportions meeting at an angle, said wall portions consisting of metalplates, and means for forming a watertight joint between said plates,

said joint consisting of a pocket formed on one of the plates having anarrow entrance neck and an enlarged main pocket having a filling ofwaterproof cement and a flange on the other plate extended through saidneck and embedded in said cement, said other late being offset inwardlyadjacent said ange and having a narrow flat surface formed adj acentsaid flange which surface extends sub stantially parallel to the saidother plate.

6. A compartment structure for shower baths and the like having two wallportions meeting at an angle, said wall ortions consisting of metalplates, one 0 said plates having a pocket formed thereon adjacent theapex of and within the angle between the two plates, said pocket havinga resilient wall, the other of said plates having a sealing portionextending across the corner between the plates and concealing saidpocket from'the interior of the compartment, and having a flangeextending into said pocket I and held by said resilient wall 7. Acompartment structure having two wall portions meeting at substantiallya right angle, said wall portions consisting of metal plates, one ofsaid plates havin thereon resilient gripping means adjacent t e apex ofand within the angle between the two plates and extending into saidcompartment, the other of said plates having a sealing portion extendingacross the corner between the plates and concealing said resilient means

